Liquid distributing device



Patented Feb.^4, 1941 l UNITED STATES FATENT GFFECE LIoUrD nrsrRIBUTrNGDavies Application April 1i, 1940, Serial No. 327,361

'l Claims.

Thisinven-tion relates to a liquid distributing device.

An object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus fordistributing liquid over fruits 5 or vegetables for the purpose ofwashing, cooling, heating or disinfecting said i'ruits and vegetables.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus inwhich a liquid is discharged from e, container or reservoir in aplurality of streams, the streams being converted into a thin sheetbefore falling on the fruits or vegetables so that such comestibles willnot be injured during a washing, a cooling, a heating, or a disinfectingoperation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a container fordispensing a liquid in thin sheets onto vegetables or fruits for variouspurposes, the containers being constructed in an identical manner at thetop and bottom at their opposite faces so that they may be reversed insitu to discharge foreign matter that has been collected in one sectionof the container and where liquid has been supplied before it isdistributed.

This invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing' detailed description, in View of the accompanying drawingforming a part of the specification; nevertheless, it is to beunderstood that the invention is not conned to the disclosure, beingsusceptible of such changes and modications as dene no materialdeparture from the salient features of the invention as expressed in theappended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure. 1 is an end View of a liquid distributing device constructed inaccordance with the principles of my invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same,

4o Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 3-3of Figure 2,

- Figure 4 is a vertical section similar to the section shown in Figure3, but disclosing a modified form of the invention.

' Referring more particularly to the drawing, l0 and ll designate a pairof curved side walls. These side walls are curved along an arc which hasits ycenter at a point indicated by the numeral l2 and this center lieswithin the horizontal axes of a pair of trunnicns I3 which are securedto end Walls I4.

The side edges l5 of the end Walls lll are curved to conform to thecurvature of the side walls lil and Il and are rigidly secured thereto.It will be noted that the height of the end walls I4 is substantiallyequal to the height of said side walls with the upper and lower edges ofthe end walls being in the same plane with the upper and lower edges,respectively, of the side walls.

A plate 2@ which forms the bottom of a pair 5 of compartments, generallydesignated by the numerals 22 and 23, has its end and side edges securedrespectively, in any approved manner, to the inner faces of the endwalls lll, and the side walls IS and l l. This plate is located in aplane 10 which is midway between the upper and lower edges of the sideand end walls of the frame.

A plurality of rows of spaced perforations or passages 25 s locatedtransversely of the plate 2% so that the compartments 22 and 23 are incom- 1'5 munication with each other. Thus, if a liquid is filled intothe compartment Z2 said liquid will pass in streams through the rows ofperforations 25 and into the compartment 23. On the other hand, y if theframe is reversed in position, or inverted, so 20 that the compartment23 will be on top and the compartment 2li will be below, the liquid wh?ch is lled into the compartment Z3 will then pass in streams through therows of passages 25 into the compartment 22. As has been explained, thede- 25 vice may be reversed in position by rotating the frame on thetrunnions E3,which are supported, in any approved manner, in bearings.

Due to the fact that the side walls it and li are curved a plurality ofthese frames may be 30 placed in close parallel relation in a supportand since the side Walls are curved along an arc which has its center atl2 (Fig. 1) these frames may be reversed at will. Y

Vanes 3l) have their lower ends secured to the 35 upper face of theplate 25! adjacent each row of passages 25. These vanes are inclined insuch a manner that they extend over each row of passages w-ith the freeedges 3l of the vanes termi- 1 nating below the upper edges of the sideand end 40 walls of the frame. The ends of these vanos are secured tothe side walls lll and l l.

A vane 35 has one edge secured to the under face of the plate 2S and itwill be noted from .I the drawing that there is a vane disposed ad- 45jacent each row of passages. The varies 35 are inclined at an acuteangle to the under face of the plate 2@ and project beyond transverselines which pass through the rows of perforaticns so that when a liquidhas been discharged into the upper compartment 22 thereby nlling thespaces between the vanes Sil, this liquid will flow in streams throughthe passages 25 and downwardly in a thin sheet onto the vegetables orfruit which are being carried beneath the free ends of the vanes by theusual traveling conveyor. In other words, the streams are broken up andthe liquid is then dispensed in thin sheets to prevent the fruit orvegetables from being injured by falling streams of liquid from thepassages 25.

In view of the fact that the vanes 30 and 35 are similarly constructedand similarly positioned the frame may be reversed by rotating the sameon the trunnions I 3 whereby the pair of vanes 35 will form compartmentsto receive the liquid and this liquid will then pass through thepassages 25 and will then be discharged in thin sheets from the freeedges 3| of the vanes 30 which are now in the lower position. The

ends of the vanes 35, like the vanes 30, are secured at the ends of theside walls l and II of the frame.

In Figure 4 is shown a modified form of the vanes 30 and 35. In thisform each of the vanes 3i)a and 35a are provided with right angularlydisposed anges tu and 4l, respectively, so that when liquid passes instreams through the passages 25 some of the liquid will be collected ina trough 42 formed by the flanges G9 and 4! with the respective vanes39a and 35a. However, the liquid will drain oil the free edges 43 of theanges 4G and 4| in a thin sheet and will be distributed over the fruitor vegetables carried by a traveling conveyor (not shown) beneath theframe.

If desired where the frames are held stationary the upper vanes 3B and30a may be dispensed with and only the varies 35 and 35a may be employedfor causing the liquid which is discharged in streams onto said vanes toflow therefrom in a thin sheet.

As has been previously stated, the trunnions I3 are supported inbearings l3a. Worm gears I6 may be secured to each trunnion of the frameat one end thereof so that a plurality of worms on a shaft may be inmeshing relation with associated gears whereby when the shaft isrevolved all of the frames may be reversed in position or inverted forthe purpose of dumping or discharging foreign matter which has collectedon one face of the plate El) after the device has been in operation fora predetermined period of time.

Various types of liquids may be employed for the various purposes ofwashing, cooling, heating or disinfecting the fruits or vegetables, andthis liquid is supplied to each one of the compartments 22 or 23 whensaid compartment is in upright position and the supply is maintained forcovering the free edges of the vanes so that all of the spaces betweenthe vanes will be lled with liquid and so that a regulated quantity ofthe liquid may be discharged through the series of passages 25.

Due to the fact that the vanes 3), 35 and vanes 30a 352L are similarlypositioned and similarly constructed, the frame may be readily invertedso that either compartment 22 or 23 may be filled with the liquid aftersupplying said liquid to the perforations 25, whereby the liquid will bedischarged over the free edges of the depending vanes in thin sheets.

I claim:

1. A liquid distributing device comprising a horizontal frame havingside and end walls, a plate having the ends and sides thereof connectedrespectively to the end and side walls of the frame and along lineswhich are located intermediate the top and bottom edges of said walls,said plate adapted to receive a liquid and provided with a plurality ofpassages arranged in parallel rows transversely of said plate, spacedmeans in the frame at the upper face of theV plate for isolating therows of passages from each other, means at the under face of the plateadjacent each row of passages to receive and discharge the liquidissuing from said passages in a thin sheet. v

2. A liquid distributing device comprising a horizontal frame havingside and end walls, a plate having the ends and sides thereof connectedrespectively to the end and side Walls of the frame and along lineswhich are located intermediate the top and bottom edges of said walls,said plate `adapted to receive a liquid and provided with a plurality ofpassages arranged in parallel rows transversely of said p1ate,'spacedmeans projecting downwardly from the underface of the plate adjacenteach row of perforations and means connected to each last-named meansfor retaining a predetermined quantity of the liquid on said last-namedmeans vbefore thek liquid is discharged, so that the liquid will beevenly distributed in a thin sheet from each of the spaced means.

3. A liquid distributing device comprising a horizontal frame havingside and end walls, a plate having the ends and sides thereof connectedrespectively to the end and side Walls of the frame and along lineswhich are located intermediate the top and bottom edges of said Walls,said plate adapted to receive a liquid and provided with a plurality ofpassages arranged in parallel rows transversely of said plate, spacedmeans in the frame at the upper face of the plate for isolating the rowsof passages from each other, means at the under face of the plateadjacent each row of passages to receive and discharge the liquidissuing from said passages in a thin sheet, and trunnions projectingfrom the end walls of the frame, the side walls vbeing curved so thatwhen a plurality of the frames are located side by side, the frames maybe inverted when revolved on the trunnions with the curved side walls ofadjacent frames clearing each other.

4. A liquid distributing device comprising a horizontal frame havingside and end walls, a plate having the ends and sides thereof connectedrespectively to the end and side walls of the frame and along lineswhich are located intermediate the top and bottom edges of said walls,said plate adapted to receive a liquid and provided with a plurality ofpassages arranged in parallel rows transversely of said plate, spacedtransversely disposed vanes secured to the under face of the plate, eachvane being located adjacent a row of passages to receive the liquidiiowing from the passages and for dispensing the liquid in a thin sheet,the ends of the vanes being secured to the side walls, and a angeprojecting upward from the free edges of the vanes to form troughs toreceive the liquid before it flows over the free edge of the ilange toform a thin sheet of discharging liquid 5. A liquid distributing devicecomprising a v vanes having the inner edges secured to the under face ofthe plate so that a liquid supplied to one compartment when facingupwardly will pass through the passages and fall on the vanes in theother compartment and be discharged from the free edges of said vanes ina thin sheet, means rotatably mounting the frame so that eithercompartment may be positioned in an upwardly facing manner.

6. A liquid distributing device comprising a frame having side and endwalls, a plate secured to an intermediate portion of the end and sidewalls to :form two compartments, one of the compartments adapted to besupplied with a liquid, the plate provided with a plurality oftransverse rows of passages, an inclined vane located adjacent eachtransverse row of passages in each compartment, the vanes in onecompartment having substantially the same construction and positions asthe vanes in the other compartment so that when the frame is revolvedeither compartment may be located in an upper or downward position, andanges projecting from the free edges of the vanes towards the plate andhaving the ends thereof secured to the side Walls to form troughs, meansrotatably mounting the frame, liquid dispensed into an upwardly turnedcompartment passing through the passages in streams which fall on thevanes and are discharged in a thin sheet from the free ends of thevanes.

7. A liquid distributing device comprising a frame having side and endwalls, a plate secured to an intermediate portionyof the end and sidewalls to form two compartments, one of the cornpartments adapted tobesupplied with a liquid, the plate provided with a plurality oftransverse rows of passages, an. inclined vane located adjacent eachtransverse row of passages in each compartment, the vanes in onecompartment having substantially the same construction and positions asthe vanes in the other compartment so that when the frame is revolvedeither oompartment may be located in an upper or downward position, andflanges projecting from the free edges of the vanes towards thev plateand having the ends thereof secured to the side Walls to form troughs,means rotatably mounting the frame, liquid dispensed into an upwardlyturned compartment passing through the passages in streams which fall onthe vanes and are discharged in a thin sheet from the free ends of 25the anges.

LEONARD O. COCKRILL.

